- BGG rating
- 4.5
The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu: Edgar Allan Poe
- 2–5 players
- 30–60 min
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,352
- BGG rating
- 5.3
The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu
2016
Rules assistance for The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30–60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu is a board game released in 2016 for 2–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Luca Ricci and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Expansions
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About the game
J.- Night, almost total darkness. Only rarely the pale glow of the moon could find space between the thick clouds to slightly illuminate the landscape. But he had no need of the moon to locate his target, his eyes were able to see in the darkness better than anyone else. He moved slowly, not to avoid making any noise, his movements were always soft, almost ethereal: never in his eternal life he had been sensed by his prey; a few more steps and he would be on target. It was there, unaware, helpless in front of his attack: a quickly and decisively move and it’s neck would not have even realized to be drilled. No worries, no tension, the cold calm that always filled him, made him perfect for this task. Suddenly the beating of wings, a night bird, inappropriate and unwanted, alerted the defenseless creature. But it was too late to avoid the arrow... H. - Why he doesn’t use his tentacles to destroy it? B.- Which vampire has tentacles or shoots arrows? J.- From immemorial time, orcs are killed by elves with bow and arrows. B.- You have turned the helpless girl, alone in the dark night, in a putrid orc?! Who can drink the slimy, filthy, black blood of orc? J- No one will drink the blood of anyone, Bram! H.- Yes, I agree with John, Cthulhu never drinks anything! B.- What is this Cthulhu, Howard? H.- The protagonist of our story, isn’t it? The Vampire, the Elf and the Cthulhu (VEC) is a strategic card game in which players represent writers who are trying to complete a novel together. That said, VEC is a "light game made for gamers", not a storytelling game. Players must acquire cards through an auction system. Cards represent the writer's ideas: protagonists, characters, events, places, items, encounters. Cards have special powers and players activate them to interact with other players (move cards, turn cards, refill energy, etc). The aim of the game is to move specific cards to a special zone of the table game area, called the NOVEL area. Cards must be placed there in the right sequence and type/color: each player has a different objective with a different sequence and colors, so as the result will be identical/similar to player objective, victory points will be scored. Card powers can be combined resulting in a huge number of play combinations creating many possible strategies.
Designers
Publishers
- Giochix.it
Questions and answers
The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu is 30–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Horror. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu are: Luca Ricci. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Vampire, the Elf & the Cthulhu as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.